BMW 130i - close to buying - want to check a few things.
Discussion
Hi there
After much deliberation over what to view/get i have test driven a 2005 reg BMW 130i. All i can say is the response these get is bang on, they drive superbly!
The one i have driven is an average mileage manual and seems to drive really well. New shocks upfront, engine pulls well with no hesitation or noise and the bodywork and underneath are in good condition with no rust.
Ive checked the car for any fault codes and did find some codes but cannot find a great deal online.
The following codes were classed under stability control
D35a
5DE1
5DC6
5DB6
Despite this the car drove very well and gripped/braked/steer as expected.
As with N52 there was no sign of any oil leaks aside from a small amount of oil around filter housing.
Frustratingly the service history was only found for stamps in books with limited info on what’s been done (just ticked items) but looks as though oil changes have been done regularly and with the details of the garages its been too. Mainly bmw specialists and dealers.
There are however invoices for recent recall work.
If anyone could shed any light on the codes it would be massively appreciated aswell as what typical bmw servicing on these consists of.
After much deliberation over what to view/get i have test driven a 2005 reg BMW 130i. All i can say is the response these get is bang on, they drive superbly!
The one i have driven is an average mileage manual and seems to drive really well. New shocks upfront, engine pulls well with no hesitation or noise and the bodywork and underneath are in good condition with no rust.
Ive checked the car for any fault codes and did find some codes but cannot find a great deal online.
The following codes were classed under stability control
D35a
5DE1
5DC6
5DB6
Despite this the car drove very well and gripped/braked/steer as expected.
As with N52 there was no sign of any oil leaks aside from a small amount of oil around filter housing.
Frustratingly the service history was only found for stamps in books with limited info on what’s been done (just ticked items) but looks as though oil changes have been done regularly and with the details of the garages its been too. Mainly bmw specialists and dealers.
There are however invoices for recent recall work.
If anyone could shed any light on the codes it would be massively appreciated aswell as what typical bmw servicing on these consists of.
Okay so ive managed to delve into these a bit more and finally have some results
D35A - No message (instrument cluster 615)
5DE1 - Brake-pad wear: plausibility, rear axle
or DSC: Control unit, internal
5DC6 - DSC: Wheel-speed sensor: direction of rotation, rear right
or Hydraulic unit, high-pressure switching valve 1
5DB6 - DSC: Wheel-speed sensor: direction of rotation, rear left
or DSC sensor, internal
Sounds like it could be a number of different things so I wonder if it would be worth getting an independent inspection from the AA pr anyone else for peace of mind.
I also managed to acquire the VIN number for the car. Im guessing if I call a dealer with this they should be able to to give me an idea on what work was carried out and when.
D35A - No message (instrument cluster 615)
5DE1 - Brake-pad wear: plausibility, rear axle
or DSC: Control unit, internal
5DC6 - DSC: Wheel-speed sensor: direction of rotation, rear right
or Hydraulic unit, high-pressure switching valve 1
5DB6 - DSC: Wheel-speed sensor: direction of rotation, rear left
or DSC sensor, internal
Sounds like it could be a number of different things so I wonder if it would be worth getting an independent inspection from the AA pr anyone else for peace of mind.
I also managed to acquire the VIN number for the car. Im guessing if I call a dealer with this they should be able to to give me an idea on what work was carried out and when.
The battery recently died on my Z4M Coupe and after I jump started it I got 3 warning lights, ABS, DSC and tyre pressure which didn't go away after I fitted a new battery.
I took it to my BMW Indy last week and he found fault codes for DSC control unit and DSC sensor. He reset the sensor and so far the lights have gone!
Which is lucky because BMW want about £2K for a new DSC Control Unit, although there are firms that can rebuild them for a few hundred. I know it's a different car but I suspect the costs are similar.
Ideally an inspection by a BMW Indy armed with a laptop ought to be money well spent.
I took my 3.0Si E86 (so N52 engine) to Sytner for an oil serivce in 2016 so oil and filter, micro-filter and fresh brake fluid and it cost £260.
Same work on my next 3.0Si in 2019 cost about £170 at my local Indy.
I think the only extras in an "Inspection" service are literally an inspection! Plus obviously anything revealed by that.
I bought an E91 325i in March 2018 that had full BMWSH, and rang the dealers who told me what work had been done - including a visit to swap from winter tyres to summers! But one chain told me it had been serviced the previous December, which wasn't in the book. So a drive over to them got me another stamp in the book!
I've got a 2005 E90 330i as my daily now and have to say the N52 is a great engine. The only weakness is the electric water pump because if it dies then the engine overheats in less than a mile, and new ones are £250 or so.
I took it to my BMW Indy last week and he found fault codes for DSC control unit and DSC sensor. He reset the sensor and so far the lights have gone!
Which is lucky because BMW want about £2K for a new DSC Control Unit, although there are firms that can rebuild them for a few hundred. I know it's a different car but I suspect the costs are similar.
Ideally an inspection by a BMW Indy armed with a laptop ought to be money well spent.
I took my 3.0Si E86 (so N52 engine) to Sytner for an oil serivce in 2016 so oil and filter, micro-filter and fresh brake fluid and it cost £260.
Same work on my next 3.0Si in 2019 cost about £170 at my local Indy.
I think the only extras in an "Inspection" service are literally an inspection! Plus obviously anything revealed by that.
I bought an E91 325i in March 2018 that had full BMWSH, and rang the dealers who told me what work had been done - including a visit to swap from winter tyres to summers! But one chain told me it had been serviced the previous December, which wasn't in the book. So a drive over to them got me another stamp in the book!
I've got a 2005 E90 330i as my daily now and have to say the N52 is a great engine. The only weakness is the electric water pump because if it dies then the engine overheats in less than a mile, and new ones are £250 or so.
Edited by Mr Tidy on Saturday 1st May 22:34
Edited by Mr Tidy on Saturday 1st May 22:38
Thanks @mr tidy great info there. Yes the water pump seems to be the big one.
Delving into it there also seems to be other things to look out for on the n52. Mainly leaks around the oil filter housing than can cause aux belt to fail potentially destroying the engine going in through the sump. The other one is the intake valve bolts (Disa valve) being ingested by the engine if its loose.
While the example i drove really well it did seem a bit light on the service history (and appeared to spend much time off the road). Despite how reliable these are supposed to be these are not an engine to be messed with in terms of maintenance.
Im now having second thoughts if i am in over my head with an 130i.
All a bit gutting really as the car drove very well, probably the nicest car if driven for some time but the potential catastrophic failures caused by small knock on affect items on a car i will be dailying does bother me quite a lot.
Delving into it there also seems to be other things to look out for on the n52. Mainly leaks around the oil filter housing than can cause aux belt to fail potentially destroying the engine going in through the sump. The other one is the intake valve bolts (Disa valve) being ingested by the engine if its loose.
While the example i drove really well it did seem a bit light on the service history (and appeared to spend much time off the road). Despite how reliable these are supposed to be these are not an engine to be messed with in terms of maintenance.
Im now having second thoughts if i am in over my head with an 130i.
All a bit gutting really as the car drove very well, probably the nicest car if driven for some time but the potential catastrophic failures caused by small knock on affect items on a car i will be dailying does bother me quite a lot.
Edited by Ads22 on Sunday 2nd May 10:29
I think you’re overreacting in thinking a 130i is too much of a worry from a reliability / maintenance viewpoint. They are very reliable and cost relative buttons to maintain. If you were to look into any car as much as seem to have (quite rightly) done so with the 130i, it would scare you. Honestly, very little goes wrong and hardly anything with dire consequences.
Heathwood said:
I think you’re overreacting in thinking a 130i is too much of a worry from a reliability / maintenance viewpoint. They are very reliable and cost relative buttons to maintain. If you were to look into any car as much as seem to have (quite rightly) done so with the 130i, it would scare you. Honestly, very little goes wrong and hardly anything with dire consequences.
This is what I hear so often but come across the odd failure. I may be worrying due to the fact that I am coming from Honda where there's very little to worry about engine wise. Im considering FN2's at the same time but for me the 130i drives much better as standard.I think running costs will be about the same but its the costs of parts and the extra things to look out for like water pump,, gaskets, aluminium bolts etc. The car does feel pretty solid and well built though but I know at around 80k miles things will likely need to be replaced soon.
I've owned my 130i for almost three years now and it's been utterly reliable over the last 25,000 miles, the only costs have been servicing and tyres. I expect the water pump to fail at some point but it's not massively expensive really. It's a great all round car and I've got no intention of ever selling it.
I owned an FN2 for a couple of years and it too was reliable but I couldn't wait to see the back of it, great engine and gearbox but far better suited to the EP3.
I owned an FN2 for a couple of years and it too was reliable but I couldn't wait to see the back of it, great engine and gearbox but far better suited to the EP3.
Objective Alpha said:
whats your budget, i have a gt86 and seems like it would fit the bill perfectly if space wasnt an issue
This is also high on my list and the only new(ish) car id actually have but at 10k its just out of budget. Im looking at around 6k as id like to own the car and not be paying up forever. Plus have funds saved towards it. Around 7k gets me into an ST mk7 which I actually used to have but wanted to get out of the pcp loop. 7 is also bottom of the market for these whereas Type R and 130i its mid to top for average mileage.
Ads22 said:
Heathwood said:
I think you’re overreacting in thinking a 130i is too much of a worry from a reliability / maintenance viewpoint. They are very reliable and cost relative buttons to maintain. If you were to look into any car as much as seem to have (quite rightly) done so with the 130i, it would scare you. Honestly, very little goes wrong and hardly anything with dire consequences.
This is what I hear so often but come across the odd failure. I may be worrying due to the fact that I am coming from Honda where there's very little to worry about engine wise. Im considering FN2's at the same time but for me the 130i drives much better as standard.I think running costs will be about the same but its the costs of parts and the extra things to look out for like water pump,, gaskets, aluminium bolts etc. The car does feel pretty solid and well built though but I know at around 80k miles things will likely need to be replaced soon.
I am pretty cautious with cars, in that I tend to be drawn to cars with an excellent reputation for reliability. I previously ran an old EK4 Civic Vti, which I partly chose for its bomb proof engine (shame the body started to disintegrate around it).
Heathwood said:
Well, if it helps, I’ve owned my 130i for around 12 years. It’s needed a service every couple of years, which has always been very reasonable using a good Indy. Only 2 things have needed doing outside of routine maintenance. 1 was the rear washer wasn’t working properly and a couple of years ago the water pump needed replacing (you will tend to get notice of an upcoming failure). I honestly reckon it’s cost me a couple of hundred a year to maintain.
I am pretty cautious with cars, in that I tend to be drawn to cars with an excellent reputation for reliability. I previously ran an old EK4 Civic Vti, which I partly chose for its bomb proof engine (shame the body started to disintegrate around it).
Yes the FN2 doesn't get much love sadly! I do like them, they are very practical and look the part with nice interior but I can see why people are somewhat disappointed after driving them - they do tend to understeer and feel jittery on rough roads. I know this is a Civic wide problem as I have the same shape Type S. The suspension is past its best but its getting to the point of being ridiculous now. Whereas the 1 series had great road holding and handling - but good god that engine is quite something, even compared to the K20!. If it was possible to get the Type R to handle anywhere near as good then that could possibly swing it for me.I am pretty cautious with cars, in that I tend to be drawn to cars with an excellent reputation for reliability. I previously ran an old EK4 Civic Vti, which I partly chose for its bomb proof engine (shame the body started to disintegrate around it).
As for the BMW, I think its because in my eyes German cars are not as reliable as jap cars (more complicated) but then Jap cars do have their own issues, mainly rust!!! The car I am looking at is on the market for £6,000 with 88k miles. There are service stamps but from what ive been told the past 3 years its not been driven as the elderly owner was unable to drive it (also no mot history online for this period to back up this claim). Theres not much in the way of what has been done during the services so my choice is to investigate with the dealers via the vin number and get a pre purchase inspections or walk away.
So for me im debating whether its better to stick with the devil you know with Honda, but potentially come away disappointed or take some risk on something that may be more satisfying to drive.
I wouldn't worry too much about 88k miles on an N52 engine.
My 325i had done 139K when I sold it, my 330i is currently on 115K and my 2nd Z4 Coupe was on 91K when I sold it.
They all drove well, pulled strongly and revved happily with no issues, apart from one dead water pump at 135K - but that's only an ancillary part (even if it is pricey).
Cam-cover gaskets and oil filter housing gaskets can leak, but if you look under the bonnet even once a month you'll see the signs long before the serpentine belt is wrecked! Or possibly smell burning oil if you are attuned to things like that - i.e. an enthusiast.
My 325i had done 139K when I sold it, my 330i is currently on 115K and my 2nd Z4 Coupe was on 91K when I sold it.
They all drove well, pulled strongly and revved happily with no issues, apart from one dead water pump at 135K - but that's only an ancillary part (even if it is pricey).
Cam-cover gaskets and oil filter housing gaskets can leak, but if you look under the bonnet even once a month you'll see the signs long before the serpentine belt is wrecked! Or possibly smell burning oil if you are attuned to things like that - i.e. an enthusiast.
2 pennies: as above, check under bonnet regularly to catch any issues. My 130i is on 86k miles, water pump has not been done as far as I know yet I'm quite happy to chuck it round and round the track and it works brilliantly. The rest of the time it's my daily.
Treat it well and it will treat you well. They aregreat cars for what they are, and I don't know what else offers the same package and performance per pound.
Treat it well and it will treat you well. They aregreat cars for what they are, and I don't know what else offers the same package and performance per pound.
Thank you all for the info! Thanks for confirming any maintenance issues. I think im just wary as im looking at cars with k20 engines on the flipside which are reknown for their reliability but the car attached to it doesnt seem as nice as the 130. Really the main thing that seems to be a must on these is waterpump and gaskets.
The car in question im looking at is proving to be hard work to dig up any service history. Theyre is confirmation theyve been done through bmw as i have dates and mileage but not what has actually been done. So the specific car im looking at may be a no.
Ive heard so many saying how reliable they are but then the odd few that say theyre heads have cracked through vanos issues. But then again on the other side ive heard many not get along with their fn2 at all due to how it drives.
Then theres also the age vs mileage thing. Of course the 130 is older but fn2 seem to be higher mileage usually .
Just very torn between the two at the moment!
The car in question im looking at is proving to be hard work to dig up any service history. Theyre is confirmation theyve been done through bmw as i have dates and mileage but not what has actually been done. So the specific car im looking at may be a no.
Ive heard so many saying how reliable they are but then the odd few that say theyre heads have cracked through vanos issues. But then again on the other side ive heard many not get along with their fn2 at all due to how it drives.
Then theres also the age vs mileage thing. Of course the 130 is older but fn2 seem to be higher mileage usually .
Just very torn between the two at the moment!
Edited by Ads22 on Monday 3rd May 12:51
Ive decided to knock the one specific model i was looking at on the end. Not enough history there for my liking and the fact that its been sitting for a few years doesnt inspire me with confidence, mot history and aftermarket front bumper may also suggest it was in an accident prior to this.
Shame as it drove very well but i would rather be cautious. Unfortunately i dont have the best luck with cars.
I am struggling a tad to justify it, which is annoying as it ticks so many boxes. Given i do short journeys for work in outer london/surrey i do wonder if its wasted on me a bit. And potential costs if anything goes bang.
I am slightly swaying towards the FN2 as im more familiar with Honda, despite it being not as nice to drive.
The only thing that may swing it is if i got the Type R to handle/ride anywhere near as good as the 130i but of course would need aftermarket parts.
Shame as it drove very well but i would rather be cautious. Unfortunately i dont have the best luck with cars.
I am struggling a tad to justify it, which is annoying as it ticks so many boxes. Given i do short journeys for work in outer london/surrey i do wonder if its wasted on me a bit. And potential costs if anything goes bang.
I am slightly swaying towards the FN2 as im more familiar with Honda, despite it being not as nice to drive.
The only thing that may swing it is if i got the Type R to handle/ride anywhere near as good as the 130i but of course would need aftermarket parts.
Ads22 said:
Ive decided to knock the one specific model i was looking at on the end. Not enough history there for my liking and the fact that its been sitting for a few years doesnt inspire me with confidence, mot history and aftermarket front bumper may also suggest it was in an accident prior to this.
Shame as it drove very well but i would rather be cautious. Unfortunately i dont have the best luck with cars.
I am struggling a tad to justify it, which is annoying as it ticks so many boxes. Given i do short journeys for work in outer london/surrey i do wonder if its wasted on me a bit. And potential costs if anything goes bang.
I am slightly swaying towards the FN2 as im more familiar with Honda, despite it being not as nice to drive.
The only thing that may swing it is if i got the Type R to handle/ride anywhere near as good as the 130i but of course would need aftermarket parts.
Both cars with great engines, but if a lot of your driving is in traffic the BMW is probably the car to go for as with that engine (especially if you fit a 135i exhaust) it feels special even when just bumbling around town at low speed, whereas the Honda will only feel special that 10% of the time when you're spanking it to 8000rpmShame as it drove very well but i would rather be cautious. Unfortunately i dont have the best luck with cars.
I am struggling a tad to justify it, which is annoying as it ticks so many boxes. Given i do short journeys for work in outer london/surrey i do wonder if its wasted on me a bit. And potential costs if anything goes bang.
I am slightly swaying towards the FN2 as im more familiar with Honda, despite it being not as nice to drive.
The only thing that may swing it is if i got the Type R to handle/ride anywhere near as good as the 130i but of course would need aftermarket parts.
Have you considered the 125i coupe? same engine as the 130i just needs a remap to set the horsepower free
As a current 130i owner, the waterpump on these isn't as big an issue as people make out on these. I've had two 130s and both still on the original pumps (and as a member of the owners page there are lots the same).
If they do go they're about £650 to get done by a specialist BMW garage (part is £300). As a comparison VW/Skoda will also charge you around £500/£600 for a cambelt change. Any car will have the odd common problem to fix
Apart from the occasional pump the N52 doesn't have any other common issues and is a peach of an engine. The reason the waterpump gets so much attention as it's the only thing that occasionally goes. The engines are good for starship mileage and mine uses zero oil.
As for ownership they're great. Semi practical with five doors, 265bhp, RWD, manual, straight six, zero depreciation.
PS. in response to the above, the 125i has slightly lower gearing too but apart from that and the remap they're the same.
If they do go they're about £650 to get done by a specialist BMW garage (part is £300). As a comparison VW/Skoda will also charge you around £500/£600 for a cambelt change. Any car will have the odd common problem to fix
Apart from the occasional pump the N52 doesn't have any other common issues and is a peach of an engine. The reason the waterpump gets so much attention as it's the only thing that occasionally goes. The engines are good for starship mileage and mine uses zero oil.
As for ownership they're great. Semi practical with five doors, 265bhp, RWD, manual, straight six, zero depreciation.
PS. in response to the above, the 125i has slightly lower gearing too but apart from that and the remap they're the same.
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